Teach me how to Scrumble!
What is a scrumble? Generally speaking, it is when you just take to yarn and hook and have a go at it. There is no pattern, rhyme, or reason. You do not work back and forth in rows or in rounds. You can change colors wherever you please and create absolutely any shape or design you feel like. You can build off it it in sections, adding stitches of various textures and types to create any shape you want with tons of visual interest. If you have a fear of weaving in ends, it’s time to move past that. Freeform crochet looks best in tons of colors, so you will have ends. It is SO worth it.
What is the CROCHETVERSE SCRUMBLE?
This is a piece that I have created completely freeform, but I have taken photos of each step and written it in standard pattern form as well. Why, you ask? Many crocheters LOVE freeform, but have a hard time visualizing how it works or comes together. I’ve also heard a lot of people say they just can’t force their brains to go “unplanned”. It seems they naturally return to the order and rows of standard crochet.
My intention with this piece is to get you to LET GO and begin to see how fun freeform can be. Start with my scrumble and then add to it however you wish.
I’ve got ruffles, chain spaces, shells, spiral, and surface work…some of the key elements to really nice freeform.
Don’t be intimdated, none of the stitches themselves are hard.
You WILL want to pay close attention to EACH stitch, you can even highlight through the rows as you work them so you don’t lose your place. The images are a good way to compare what you have done to what is intended. Look closely at them to compare.
All the info you need is in your hands now. Let’s go!
Materials:
– Small amounts of worsted weight yarn in the following colors (denoted with a letter)
Shown in instructions: A/Pink, B/Coral, C/Ivory, D/Light Coral, E/Dark Gray, F/Yellow, G/Mint Green
Shown in main image: A/Pink, B/Orange, C/Yellow, D/Green, E/Silver, F/Blue, G/Purple
– G (4mm) crochet hook
– tapestry needle & scissors
Finished Size:
As written, with my gauge and yarn, I am about 10.5” in diameter and the final shape is fairly circular.
Instructions:
Center Pinwheel:
3 Colors: A/Pink, B/Coral, C/Ivory
These are not full rounds, we will create this center motif in “Steps”:
With A, make magic circle, ch 1:
1: sc, hdc, dc in the ring, pull up a long loop, secure with a stitch marker if desired, remove hook from loop. (3 sts in A)
2: join B with a sl st in the ring just after the last dc just made in A, ch 1, sc, hdc, dc in the ring, pull up a long loop, secure, drop loop from the hook. (3 sts in B)
3: join C with a sl st in the ring just after the last dc just made in B, ch 1, sc, hdc, dc in the ring, pull up a loop, secure, drop loop from the hook. (3 sts in C)
4: insert hook back into the dropped loop of A, make 2 dc in each of the 3 sts done in B, pull up loop/secure/drop loop from hook. (6 sts added in A)
5. insert hook back into the dropped loop of B, make 2 dc in each of the 3 sts done in C, pull up loop/secure/drop loop from hook. (6 sts added in B)
6. insert hook back into the dropped loop of C, make 2 dc in each of the sts across COLOR A ONLY, pull up loop/secure/drop loop from hook. (18 sts added in C)
*Now that you get the feel for how a pinwheel is created, I will continue with truncated intructions, procced as you have been doing above. Take time to untwist skeins here and there to avoid tangles.
- pick up A, make 2 dc in each st across COLOR B ONLY, pull up loop/secure/drop A. (12 sts added in A)
- pick up B, make 2 dc in each st across COLOR C ONLY, pull up loop/secure/drop B. (36 sts added in B)
- pick up C, make 2 dc in each st across COLOR A ONLY, pull up loop/secure/drop C. (24 sts added in C)
- pick up A, (dc in nxt 4 sts of B, 2 dc in nxt st) seven times total, dc in the last st of B, pull up loop/secure/drop A. (43 sts added in A)
- pick up B, dc in nxt 18 sts of C, hdc in nxt 2 sts, sc in nxt 2 sts, loosely sl st in last 2 sts of C, cut B. (24 sts added in B)
- pick up C, dc in nxt nxt 37 sts of A, hdc in nxt 2 sts, sc in nxt 2 sts, sl st loosely in last 2 sts of A, cut C. (43 sts added in C)
When working take care not to miss the sl st or work 2 sts in the st, pay attention to which st the sl st is actually in on the prev step.
- pick up A, dc in nxt 19 sts of B, 2 dc in nxt st, 2 hdc in nxt st, hdc in last 3 sts of B, dc in nxt 6 sts of C, hdc in nxt st, sc in nxt st, sl st in nxt st, cut A. (35 sts added in A)
We now have a fairly circular shape with 69 sts on the outer round split between A and C, not evenly.
Rnd 1: with D, join in the BACK LOOP ONLY of any st around the outer edge of the pinwheel, ch 2 (counts as 1st dc here and throughout), dcblo in nxt 67 sts (again watch those sl st placements), 2 dcblo in last st, sl st to top of beg ch-2. (70 dc)
Rnd 2: ch 2, dc in nxt 5 sts, 2 dc in nxt st, *dc in nxt 6 sts, 2 dc in nxt st, repeat from * 8 times more, sl st to top of beg ch-2, cut D. (80 dc)
Rnd 3 (dropping back a bit in the work): Join E with a sl st in any of the unworked front loops that were not worked in round 1 above, ch 1, in EACH front loop around make (sl st, ch 1), then sl st to the 1st sl st made and cut E. Don’t forget to ch-1 after EVERY sl st.
Rnd 4 (Partial): Join F with a sl st in any dc of round 2, ch 1, sc in same st and nxt 2 sts, 2 sc in nxt st, *sc in nxt 3 sts, 2 sc in nxt st, repeat from * eight times more, ch 4, sk nxt 3 sts, sc in nxt st, ch 5, sk nxt 4 sts, sc in nxt st, ch 6, sk nxt 5 sts, sc in nxt st. (50 sc and 3 chain spaces added in F)
Rnd 5 (Partial): turn the work, (do not ch), in the ch-6 loop space make (sc, hdc, 6 dc, hdc, sc), in the nxt ch-5 loop space make (sc, hdc, 5 dc, hdc, sc), in the next ch-4 loop space make (sc, hdc, 4 dc, hdc, sc), hdc in each of the nxt 50 sc of F, mark the last hdc made, cut F.
Rnd 6 (Partial): Turn the work so the right side of the center pinwheel sts are facing up as shown in the above photo, join C(ivory) with a sl st in the st of color D(lt coral) AFTER the last st done in color F(yellow) at the point shown with the arrow stating join, working in the direction of the other arrow across the sts of D(lt coral), ch 1, sc in same st and nxt 11 sts, (ch 4, sk nxt 2 sts, sc in nxt st) three times total, ch 6 sk nxt 3 sts of D(lt coral) and sc in the nxt hdc in F(yellow) that you marked at the end of rnd 5, do not remove the marker yet.
Rnd 7 (Partial, creates ruffles): ch 1, turn, sl st into the ch-6 sp, ch 2, make 25 dc in the same sp (you will have to push the sts to the side as you work to create space, there are a lot!), 15 dc all in the nxt ch-4 sp, 15 dc all in the nxt ch-4 sp, 10 dc in the last ch-4 sp, hdc in last 12 sts of C(ivory), mark the last hdc made with a sl st, cut C. 
Rnd 8 (Partial): with the right side of the center pinwheel sts facing up, join G(mint green) in the same marked hdc of F(yellow) from round 5 as shown in the image above and working in the direction of the arrow, ch 4 (counts as dc, ch 2), sk nxt st, dc in nxt st, *ch 2, sk nxt st, dc in nxt st, repeat from * 22 times more, chain 2, sc in the 2nd dc of the next F(Yellow) shell, ch 7, sc in the 3rd dc of the nxt F(yellow) shell, chain 7, dc in the 4th dc of the nxt F(Yellow) shell, chain 7 and sl st to the last hdc made in C(ivory) in round 7 that you marked. (Image below shows round 8 complete, it is begin at the pink X and ends where the hook is in the image) 
Rnd 9 (Partial): ch 1, turn, in nxt ch space make (sc, hdc, 10 dc), 5 sc in nxt ch sp, 10 dc in nxt ch sp, (sc in nxt ch sp, 4 hdc in nxt ch sp) six times total, sc in nxt ch sp, *5 dc in nxt ch sp, sc in nxt ch sp, 5 tc in nxt ch sp, sc in nxt ch sp, repeat from * once more, (4 hdc in nxt ch sp, sc in nxt ch sp) two times total, cut G(mint).
Now, from here, you can just go wild. There is no rhyme or reason to freeform. You just go for it and add what you want, where you want.
Much Love, Yarn, and Freeform,
Stephanie
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